PREECE, WILLIAM HENRY - THE EDISON EFFECT.

On a Peculiar Behaviour of Glow-Lamps raised to High Incandescence. (Received March 14, 1885).

London, Harrison and Sons, 1885. Later full buckram. Gilt lettering to spine. IX,506,XL pp., 1 plate, textillustr. (Entire volume offered). Preece's paper: pp. 219-230 with 6 large textillustrations. Internally clean and fine.

First printing of this importent paper in which Preece was the first to use the term "Edison effect."

"In 1884 William Henry Preece, an official of the British General Post Office, was shown an experiment by Thomas Edison. Of this experiment Preece gave what appears to be the first printed account in a paper entitled 'On a Peculiar Behaviour of Glow-Lamps raised to High Incandescence' (the paper offered)... What Edison had demonstrated was that if a metal plate is sealed into an electric light bulb and joined to the positive end of the filament a considerable curent will pass. If the plate is joined to the negative terminal, however, no current will pass. This was known as the 'Edison effect' and in 1890 Fleming, an electrical engineer who had workes with the Edison Company in London and now was professor at University College, began a carefull study of this phenomenon in carbon filament lamps. In 1904 he was able to demonstrate that this occurred not only with electric waves but also with wireless waves. He thus introduced the basic principle of the modern wireless valve, which permits only unilateral conductivity."(PMM No 396).

Shiers & Shiers "Early television", No 186.

Order-nr.: 49594